Thus, the Stallion Escaped Here
by Lord Raa
Summary: During the Ginza Incident, opportunity knocks for Ranma Saotome.
1. Prologue

"Nodoka, I don't want to speak out of place, but you really should get out more. We're worried about you," Minako Honda said as she walked with her friends along the Nerima shopping district.

"What are you talking about, Minako, I'm out here with you, aren't I?" Nodoka Saotome replied defensively.

"This isn't what we mean, Nodoka. You need to interact with people outside of shopping," Kikuko Tamura clarified. "You need a hobby."

"But..." Nodoka protested weakly. She knew her friends had a point. There were days when she didn't speak to another person. She sighed. "I... you're right. But what should I do? I don't have a lot of money to spend on hobbies."

Something caught Minako's eye a short distance away. "Hey, what's that? That wasn't there last week."

Kikuko turned to face the sign her friend was pointing at. "Join the JSDF Reserves. Be a part time soldier to aid Japan."

"You know, that's not a bad idea. You should look into that, Nodoka."

Nodoka wasn't sure what to make of that. It would be nice to be useful, but the army? It seemed a big commitment. "But what if I'm away when Genma returns? I could be away for months at a time."

"Do they do that with the reserves? What's the harm in asking?" Minako asked rhetorically. She was glad that her friend hadn't rejected the suggestion out of hand. This would get Nodoka out and meeting people and maybe even bring in some money. She could meet a suitable man. Certainly someone far more suitable than her current husband.

Kikuko walked up to the uniformed man and smiled politely. "Hello, what does it mean to join the JSDF Reserves?"

"Hello, Madame, the JSDF Reserves are basically an emergency army unit that can be called upon to defend Japan. In all likelihood, it wouldn't be in combat, but the JSDF reserves have often helped out with natural disasters. Clearing rubble from earthquakes, deploying sandbags to prevent flood damage, that sort of thing," the smartly dressed man answered.

Kikuko turned to Nodoka. "Do you have any questions, Nodoka?"

"I... well, how long would I be away for?" Nodoka asked, slightly embarrassed by this situation.

"Well, the basic training would be over the course of six weekends. You'd learn fitness, map reading and basic gunnery skills. Upon completion of that initial training, you'd be offered the chance to go on to the next stage of training. This training is split up into two phases, Alpha and Bravo, each over the course of eight weekends."

"Weekends?" Nodoka repeated.

"Yes, this Reserves are part time soldiers. You will be paid for your time with us, though it's not as much as a full time soldier would receive."

"And what happens once she's passed the training?" Minako asked. "What kind of commitment are you looking for?"

"Four weekends every year as assigned via rota," the solider explained. "Though in the case of disasters, you could be called up to help protect towns from flooding or help evacuate villages from forest fires."

"That doesn't sound too bad, does it, Nodoka," Kikuko smiled. "You could meet some nice people."

"There are some wonderful people in the JSDF Reserves, though I must warn you that not everyone is suited to the military lifestyle."

"What do you mean?" Minako asked.

"Well, not everyone reacts well to orders being shouted them and guns are a lot louder than the movies suggest. Not to mention the mud," the soldier admitted. "But if you're up to the challenge, it can give you a great sense of camaraderie that you don't normally see in civilian life."

"What do you think, Nodoka? Fancy giving up a few weekends for a challenge? You never know, you might like it enough to get Ranma to sign up when he's old enough. Can you imagine how he'll look in a uniform?" Minako smiled.

"He would look manly…" Nodoka said with a happy, far away look in her eyes. "Alright, I'll talk to my uncle, he's in the JSDF. If he thinks it's a good idea, I'll sign up."


	2. Chapter 1

Thus, the Stallion Escaped Here

By Lord Raa

Disclaim-me-do: There's no shame in hitting a criminal below the belt.

Chapter 1

* * *

"Ranma!" a gruff male voice called out.

"What's up, Old Man?"

"I want you to come with me."

"Where?" Ranma asked, his instinct telling him that trouble was on the way.

"To Ginza. We're going to buy some birthday gifts for your mother," Genma Saotome explained.

"Oh. Give me a few minutes and I'll be ready to go," the cursed youth said as he finished his kata.

* * *

"Where are you going, Ranma?" Akane Tendo asked. She winced slightly when she realised that her tone was a bit harsher than she had intended.

Her fiancé grit his teeth before turning to answer. "I'm going to do some shopping in Ginza."

"Who are you buying things for, Ranma?" Nabiki asked sidling up the to pair of martial artists.

"My mother," Ranma answered curtly. "Is that a problem?"

The sisters recoiled slightly, as they couldn't really protest a son buying a gift for his mother.

"We'll be back later, try not to get kidnapped while I'm gone."

"We?" Akane asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Pops wants to get something, you know, since it's her birthday."

"Ranma," Genma called out from the entrance to the Tendo home. "We're leaving."

* * *

The Saotomes were travelling by train to Ginza, making Genma glad his son had taken the opportunity to wash up before they boarded the crowded carriage.

Ranma, however, was in a bad mood. He was chuntering away to himself, complaining about how despite everything they'd been through together, Akane still didn't trust him.

"Stop complaining, boy," Genma said sternly. "Whining about everything isn't what your mother would call manly."

The son turned to face his father. "And just whose fault is it that we have to worry about such things?"

"It's not my fault you fell into that spring."

"NOT YOUR FAULT?! YOU LITERALLY KNOCKED ME INTO THAT SPRING YOURSELF!" Ranma yelled, grabbing the man by his gi and shaking him violently. "Not to mention the whole arranged marriage nonsense! I've at least three girls out there who think I'm their fiancé!"

"Shampoo's not my fault," Genma shot back defensively.

"No, but Akane and Ukyo are! I bet you'd have tried to sell me off to the Kunos if you thought you could get away with it."

"Your words are spears through my heart, son," the wily old man replied theatrically. That said, he knew that his son was right; if there had been a viable exit strategy, he'd have tried to pull something with both of the Kuno siblings.

Genma decided to change the subject. "What are you thinking of buying for your mother."

"I've got no idea. What sort of thing does she like?"

"That's a good question."

Ranma sighed. This was going to be a difficult day.

* * *

"A difficult day," Ranma mused, recalling his earlier thoughts.

Difficult day. Jusenkyo had been a difficult day. Discovering that he was engaged to a sweet girl with a violent temper had been a difficult day. The failed attempt to get married to that same, sweet yet violent girl had been a difficult day.

The day Ranma has just experienced had made those seem like he'd just missed the bus as light rain started to come down on him.

It had happened all so fast, like it was a weird dream brought on by something he'd been slipped by Happousai or the Amazons.

Fighting weirdos with weapons was nothing new to a martial artist of the Saotomes' calibre, but to find a literal army of them appear out of a weird portal in the middle of Ginza was a new one on Ranma.

It had been brutal, as it would have been anywhere short of a military base. The denizens of Tokyo could never have expected an army to march through a major shopping district.

Fortunately for the civilians, an off-duty JSDF officer had taken charge of the evacuation and led them to the Imperial Palace before it had turned into a total slaughter.

Then the dragons came.

Things had gotten a little dangerous, even for a master of martial arts like Genma Saotome with the arrival of the flying beasts and their fiery breath, but the cunning man had managed to evade the destruction.

It was then that the cunning, nay, devious man came to a realisation: This portal was magical. And if it was magical, the land beyond it had the potential for a cure to their curses.

He called out to Ranma, who was currently finishing off a trio of spear wielding men.

"What now?"

"I've got an idea."

"Can it wait?" Ranma asked as he dodged a blast of flame from one of the dragons.

Genma ran to his son. "I've had an idea."

"Now is not the time, Pops," the younger Saotome asked, breathing heavily.

"I've got a plan to get rid of our curses."

"Nice, but we've got more important things to deal with."

Genma moved himself and his son to some cover to avoid another strafing run from a dragon. "It's a magic gate, so there must be magic on the other side of it."

"So?"

"This is going to be our only chance to go through that gate. The army are going to seal it off and there's no way we'll be able to sneak through."

Ranma considered his father's words. As much as he hated to admit it, his old man had a valid point. Sure, Ranma could try to enlist to go through, but there were a few problems with that plan.

His curse; the fact that he didn't like people telling him what to do all the time and the fact that he was only 16.

Not to mention that they may not assign him to go through the gate.

"Alright, Pops, but don't get any weird ideas when we get there," Ranma warned as they prepared to slip through the portal.

* * *

A dragon rider laughed loudly as he continued to terrify the people of Ginza with his low altitude manoeuvres and strafing runs.

To him, this was the easiest mission of his life. The city was impressive, but what kind of people could allow him and his comrades such free reign in the heart of their territory? Clearly they were decadent and weak.

And it was the divine calling of the Empire to teach them a lesson.

Swooping around, he saw two people running towards the gate. It was madness for them to think that they could escape their fate by running into the lion's den like that. He was about to leave them to their fate when he saw the duo breeze through a tightly formed unit of spear men as if they were nothing.

The need for revenge filled the rider and he moved in for the kill.

'A good blast of fire from the dragon should finish them off.'

* * *

Genma ran towards the portal only a few steps behind his son. It was a bold move to try finding a cure in the magical land beyond the gate, but it was their best option after the destruction of the springs in Jusenkyo.

Unfortunately for the part-time panda, old habits die hard and he saw some money laying on the ground. And not just coins, but notes.

Pausing to retrieve the gift from the universe, he looked up to see Ranma disappear in a column of flame from a swooping dragon.

"RANMA!" he cried out, slumping to the ground.

But before Genma could pick himself up, the JSDF arrived on the scene and dragged him away from the scene. They turned around to see a helicopter shot down the flying beast.

"At least, Ranma has been avenged," the balding man said with a heavy heart. As he was escorted to a safe zone, he pocketed the money he'd found and discarded the wallet.

* * *

Ranma ran through the portal. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him.

This was, as far as he could see, his only chance for being free of the Jusenkyo curse that had caused him so much trouble.

If he didn't turn into a girl, he wouldn't have had Shampoo trying to kill him. He wouldn't have Kuno drooling over him. He wouldn't have Kodachi trying to kill him.

He could actually spend time with his mother and not live in fear for his life.

Nabiki would stop exploiting him by taking lewd photographs of him when he was getting changed.

Akane wouldn't think he was so weird.

"I'm going to do this," he told himself as he ran through the passageway. "I'm never going to be a girl again!"

He could see light ahead of him and spurred himself on to get through this portal before it collapsed on him.

"I'm never going to be a girl again! I'm never going to be a girl again! I'm never going be a girl again!" he chanted to himself.

Finally he reached the other side of the gate.

"I'm... Oh, shit," Ranma cursed as he saw what was before him.

It was an army with the same liveries of the one that had stormed into Ginza. And several of them were pointing spears, crossbows and swords at him.

"Crap. Pops, you're an..." Ranma trailed off as he realised he was alone in this new world and surrounded by an army of people with pointy objects. "At least he can't try to sell me off here."

An officer in the army pointed his sword at Ranma and demanded something from him.

"What? I can't understand you."

The soldiers looked between themselves. This was the language of the other side of the Gate. It was strange, spiky and almost harsh on their ears.

Ranma scanned the area and thought of a plan of action. The crossbow bolts would be tricky to avoid, but if he could manage that, the reload time should take them out of the equation.

Spear-dancing was not something Ranma had expected to use in his lifetime, but he was good at it. At least, he was in the times he'd practised it with his father and the sensei who taught it to them.

His only hope was the element of surprise and that no-one had ever tried such a thing against a professional army. He scanned the horizon and saw that the sun was setting.

Taking several deep breaths, Ranma steeled himself for what seemed like one of the worst ideas he'd had in a long time. Escaping back through the gate was not an option. Not if he wanted to cure his curse. Not if he wanted to be a whole man again.

And being a prisoner to an army of barbarians was not an option with his curse.

"I'm not going to be taken alive," he said drawing himself up to his full height. He stretched before falling into an advanced Anything Goes stance.

The Imperial army looked on, increasingly tense as to what this strange young man was doing. He was unarmed and outnumbered.

Sure, there were fighting techniques that you could use if you were unarmed, but they were best used one-on-one, or in a tavern brawl. Not on the battlefield against opponents armed with steel.

And for some reason, that smirk that had suddenly appeared on his face made some of the junior soldiers nervous.

They were right to be concerned.

Ranma lashed out with several vacuum blades towards the crossbowmen before he charged the spear carrying men.

His sudden motions took them by surprise. They'd never encountered anyone brave or stupid enough to charge a massed formation of spears on their own before.

But he wasn't skewered on the spear points, he'd vaulted over them and was running along the heads of the soldiers.

"GET HIM!" the captain bellowed.

Jumping down, Ranma elbowed one soldier in the jaw and took his spear. After a quick twirl to determine its weight and balance, he took up a sojutsu stance.

Again, Ranma found himself surrounded by soldiers, this time though he had a weapon. And it was a weapon Ranma enjoyed using.

Stabbing and slashing at hands and faces kept the soldiers at bay for a while, but Ranma knew that crossbows would be ready.

As much as it pained him, Ranma realised that there was only one way he was going to get out of this situation alive: The Saotome Secret Technique: Final Form.

It was supposed to be a sealed technique, but life or death situations in foreign worlds were extenuating circumstances that most masters would understand.

Ranma charged again, this time he seemed to vanish into thin air.

The Imperial soldiers blinked in surprise when the man they were tracking in the air seemed to disappear. On reflex, they moved into position where they could guard each others' backs against a skilled and unpredictable opponent.

"FIND HIM AND CAPTURE HIM!" came the order.

The soldiers scanned the area for their quarry. It was not easy due to the failing light, and the torches had yet to be lit.

Ranma darted from shadow to shadow as he made his way through the camp. He'd almost made it through when a soldier with a sword spotted him collecting a few supplies.

"¬I have you now,¬" he smirked.

Ranma acted on instinct and unleashed a barrage of punches at the man, denting his breastplate. It was something that he regretted when the man finally collapsed.

'Gonna have to remember that these guys wear armour,' he thought as he rubbed his fists.

Grabbing his looted supplies, Ranma finally slipped out of the camp and off into the wilderness.

* * *

Running was something Ranma was becoming all too familiar with. He didn't like fleeing from a fight, but he knew that he had no choice. Even Happousai would have problems against hundreds of armed men.

There was a dirt track he was following, he reasoned that it was his best option in the darkness to avoid going round in circles. He sniggered when he thought about what it would be like if it was Ryoga trying to get away from the army.

He slowed from his run to a jog, to a walk to a stop to catch his breath and get some bearings.

'They look like they're people, they've got steel weapons and they're not as advanced as we are back in Japan,' he mused as he looked at the sword he'd taken.

It was a short sword, one that was more suited to hacking and stabbing than slashing. A very different weapon to the katana of his homeland.

He knew it would require different techniques to use effectively.

Ranma took a look at his other weapons. The knife seemed sturdy enough for both combat and cleaning any game he hunted. The other weapon that intrigued him was the spear.

He'd preferred bojutsu over sojutsu, for two reasons. One, it meant he could beat on his idiot father more with it and two, Ranma had acquired a weird dislikes for edged weapons.

That was something he blamed on Kuno for his sword-based idiocy.

There was some variation on the blades used in traditional Japanese spears, but the most common was for the blade to be around 15cm long. This blade was at least 25cm in length and had a curved, almost axe-blade like shape on one side, with a spike on its reverse.

Additional blades, barbs, hooks and collars on spears were nothing new to him, but the spike was intriguing.

What could its purpose be? It wasn't sharp, like the main blade. A mass produced military weapon would be free from frills and decoration, so it had to be of some use. It wasn't big enough to be a counterweight for the curved section.

Not that being a counterweight made much sense.

Ranma's musings on the nature of the weapons of this strange land were put on hold when he heard some people approaching. Ducking down to the side of the path, he looked up to see what was coming his way.

It was some armed men.

'Soldiers? How have they caught up with me?' Ranma asked himself. He got a closer look at the men in question, and while they could have been soldiers at one point judging by their builds and displayed weapons, the fact that they were in unique outfits that suggested they were now working for themselves.

Ranma kept himself low and quiet as they approached. He counted a dozen men. Troublesome, but certainly not enough to endanger his life too much.

Then it started to rain.

"Shit," Ranma muttered under his now feminine breath.

"¬What was that?¬" one of the bandits asked.

"¬I think there's someone by the side of the road,¬" another suggested. "¬You there, come out and we might not hurt you.¬"

Ranma remained silent, gripping her spear tightly.

The rest of the bandits approached, one of the braver ones started poking around, trying to find the person who could be their evening's entertainment.

Ranma's stomach started to make noises, giving the game away.

"¬Come on out, and we might let you go with just a toll,¬" the bandit leader smirked.

The bandit who'd been probing the night with a stick grabbed Ranma by the shirt and dragged her up.

"¬Wow, she's cute.¬"

"¬Hey, I saw her first.¬"

"¬If it hadn't been for me, you wouldn't have even known about her!¬"

"¬You're forgetting one important thing, men. I'm the one in charge. But don't worry, you'll all get a turn.¬"

Ranma, despite not understanding a word of what was being said know what was planned for her. A wandering hand was bad enough, but these were the kinds of people who made Happousai look kind and gentle.

The redhead lashed out with a pair of vacuum blades, killing two of the bandits where they stood.

"¬Wait, is that Rory?¬"

"I can't understand what you're saying," the redhead announced before ramming her fist into the face of the man holding her shirt.

Now free, Ranma wielded her spear with aplomb, causing minor damage to her would be rapists.

Normally, drawing blood would be enough to cause an attacker in Tokyo to back off.

Normally.

And this was far from Tokyo.

When they advanced, Ranma realised that if he was to survive long enough to get cured, he'd have to treat every fight like it was life or death.

More vacuum blades and precision thrusts with the spear took down all but one of the bandits. The last one alive was the one with broken nose and teeth.

Ranma pointed the spear at him, causing him to throw his hands up in surrender. Ranma was tempted to finish him off on principle, but now that the adrenaline was subsiding, realised that there was quite a difference between self-defence and murder.

She lifted the spear and gestured for him to get running.

The injured man nodded and fled for his life with the tale of a new Apostle, one as deadly as Rory but much bustier.

Ranma was about to leave to continue on her journey away from the gate when a thought occurred to her. The yen in her pocket would be worthless. She'd need some money.

Looting a corpse was distasteful, something even Genma would balk at. 'But what choice I have? It's not like I can apply for a job as a waitress.'

* * *

To be continued…

Well, what's this? A new fic? Yet another Ranma crossover from your fiend?

Seems that way, and it's got some more content to come, so do not worry about this trailing off after this chapter.


	3. Chapter 2

Thus, the Stallion Escaped Here

By Lord Raa

Disclaim-me-do: Nothing says "Christmas" like shoddy craftsmanship.

* * *

Chapter 2

* * *

Genma Saotome sat ashen-faced in a triage tent as the JSDF explained what had happened to him.

The army doctor seemed rather surprised that Genma had taken the magic portal and invading army in his stride.

"Having people want to fight you is natural when you're a martial artist. Everyone wants to be the best."

"And that gate that appeared?"

"I turn into a panda when splashed with cold water," Genma replied, reaching for a cup of water.

One demonstration of a Jusenkyo curse later, and Genma was human again.

"I… I see. And is there anyone else with a similar condition?" the doctor asked, his curiosity piqued by this strange phenomenon.

"Only half the martial artists in Nerima. Well, there's one less now."

No, the thing that bothered Genma Saotome the most was what happened to Ranma. He sighed and spun a tale for those in earshot.

"If I hadn't had the bright idea of going to Ginza to get a gift for Nodoka, my beloved wife, then maybe, just maybe, my son would still be here. I stumbled for a moment, but when I looked up again, I saw my son disappear into a dragon's fiery breath."

But of course, to anyone who knew Genma Saotome the slightest bit, the truth was not so straightforward.

Yes, Genma was upset at the loss of his only child, but not because of typical parental concern.

No, Genma Saotome had lost his meal ticket.

Without Ranma to marry Akane Tendo, the pledge to unite the schools of Anything Goes could now not be fulfilled. And with it, his and Soun's dream to live off the hard work of their children had now died.

Genma would need to find a new place to live. Sure, spending time with his wife would be nice, but there would be so much nagging. It was bad enough when she found out about Ukyo Kuonji and the harsher training he'd put Ranma through, but to add in the loss of their child?

This called for drastic measures. He knew what he had to do when he returned to Nerima.

* * *

It had been three days since Ranma had gone through the portal in Ginza. Three days since he'd left everything he knew behind on what was increasingly looking like one of his father's bad ideas.

He'd continued as best he could, but his lack of provisions in the unfamiliar landscape were hampering his progress. He'd finished off the last of the food he'd taken from the soldiers the previous day and was beginning to feel the effects of his hunger.

After the first night, he'd managed to heat some water from a brook to change back to his normal form. Sure, it was an indulgence, but given the nature of this world, he didn't need to have any more weaknesses than necessary.

He had few items on him at the best of times, but this was really travelling light. A spear, a sword, a knife, a blanket, a water skin, and a small cast iron cooking pot.

'Pops would be proud,' he mused as his earlier brisk pace had slowed to a stroll.

Going hungry was nothing new to Ranma Saotome. He'd often gone several days without a proper meal in the past, but his food situation was becoming quite serious. Already, he'd forgone three days of kata training to conserve his strength, but just walking and basic foraging was taking its toll on him. A lack of knowledge of the local plants was preventing him from trying everything that came into view.

For all he knew, he'd passed up the chance to eat his fill several times over when he saw those small berries.

'Or, you saved yourself from being poisoned,' he told himself.

The worst part of this hike was he had no idea where he was going.

"Now I know how Ryoga feels," he said, a smile forming on his lips.

* * *

A short while later, Ranma saw something kicking up dust in the distance. He squinted, unable to properly make out what was, but still continued in that direction almost reflexively.

If it was a full strength cavalry unit from the army looking for him, he was done for. The only question would be how many of them could he take down before they killed or captured him.

He tried to justify keeping his head down and ignoring the situation, that it wasn't any of his business. It wasn't like he went around interfering with other people's lives back in Nerima, after all.

But the idea that it could be a small group of bandits attacking a party of innocent travellers kept playing on his mind.

It was his duty to help others, but they hadn't asked for it.

'Even if they did ask for it, would I even understand them?' Ranma asked himself. "What if I barged in and made things worse?"

After a few more steps, the martial artist had another thought. 'What if they're in trouble? Besides, it's not like I have to charge in with fists swinging like Ryoga...'

He picked up the pace and headed to see what the commotion was just as clouds started to gather overhead.

* * *

A small trader was having problems with his cart. The main problem was that his horse had just been killed by an attacking gang of bandits.

"You are at our mercy, old man!" the bandit leader announced. "It's only by our grace alone that you might live past today."

"Please…"

"What have you got, old man?"

"S-some gems…"

The bandit leader's face lit up. "Gems? Well, I think that I should take a look at them. I wouldn't want poor quality merchandise to be sold to unsuspecting buyers."

"Hey, Garston, there's someone approaching," a bandit with blonde hair and harsh, pointy features announced pointing to the road approaching them from the south.

The leader turned to face this interloper. He saw that the figure was jogging towards them. "He seems to be in a hurry to meet Hardy. Ionas, do him a favour and help him on his way."

"Gotcha," the blonde beamed as he moved his horse in the right direction. "Hiya!"

* * *

Ranma could see that someone on horseback approaching him and let out a sigh. He knew his luck wasn't good enough for it to be someone asking him if he wanted a lift to the nearest town.

No, experience had taught Ranma that when people were rushing to meet him, they wanted something from him. Either his help with something that wasn't his problem or fault; his blood to settle some slight, real or imagined; or his hand in marriage.

And judging by the fact that this horseman had pulled out a sword, Ranma gathered that it was his blood that was in demand that day.

'He'll come charging in, moving off to the side at the last moment so he can swing down with his sword. Should I just sidestep, hoping I can knock him off with my spear?' the cursed martial artist pondered as the distance between him and the cavalryman. 'Seems a shame to just take out the horse… Besides, a horse might come in handy later. Either as transport, barter, or in the worst case scenario, food.'

Ranma put himself in the shoes of his opponent for a moment. The change in perspective made his decision for his choice of tactics.

The man on horseback would assume Ranma was just a civilian, and not a martial artist. Even if Ranma's spear had been noticed, it would be assumed that it wouldn't be able to be used effectively.

Two very dangerous assumptions.

As the gap between the two men was reduced to 30 metres, Ranma braced himself for some fancy footwork.

The gap was now a dozen metres and every heartbeat brought them closer.

Ranma knew to opt for speed rather than power and stepped aside at the last second as his spear was thrust into the horseman's face, causing the cavalryman to drop his sword.

The rider was injured, but remained in the saddle. Enraged, he slowed his horse before bringing it around for another attack. It was then that he realise he was missing his sword.

'Not much chance against a spear and if I can't beat him, Garston will kill me himself. I've got one last chance...' the rider thought as he prepared himself in the saddle to launch himself at Ranma.

'He's going to jump at me?' Ranma thought in disbelief. 'He probably thinks he can beat me into submission with his gauntlets... This will be fun.'

The bandit leapt at Ranma, intent on punishing this insolent fool for his crimes, only to find a spear skewering his windpipe.

"Well, that went about as well as could be expected. Do you mind waiting here, Mr. Horse?" he asked rhetorically.

* * *

At the cart, Garston, bandit leader was not impressed that his cousin had just been defeated by this vagabond. It gave him a bad feeling.

That feeling was intensified when he saw that same vagabond tie the reins of the horse to a tree.

"Men, these fools aren't going anywhere. Form up behind me and we can avenge Ionas!"

There were shouts of approval and agreement as the rest of the men charged towards Ranma.

* * *

Ranma could see that this was not going to be an easy fight. Eight angry men on horseback in formation against one hungry man on foot with a spear were not good odds.

This was going to require a plan. Running away wasn't really an option, as even if he could outrun them, it would leave people at the hands of angry bandits. Charging head-on in his current state would be suicide.

Sure, he could get one or two, perhaps even six out of the eight remaining horsemen. But that would result in him being injured and with no help in the area, he'd last a couple of days before succumbing to his injuries, or at best a week before infection killing him off.

The thought of something as small as bacteria killing him off made him smirk. "That would upset Kuno, that his greatest nemesis was killed by something he couldn't see."

No, this required the kind of cunning plan his father often used. He turned to his left and noticed that the copse thickened into a wood.

'Take away the enemy's strengths and turn them into weaknesses if you want to beat them.'

Ranma started to walk into the copse, hoping that the bandits would follow him in.

* * *

"He's trying to escape... After him, men!" Garston ordered.

As the horsemen charged towards Ranma, they noticed he wasn't running away from them, as they would do if they were in the same situation. This made Garston and the more experienced fighters cautious.

This person was clearly dangerous, but what were they planning? The Imperial army didn't use tactics like lures with just a single infantryman; they had always used something that would appear to have value, like a lightly guarded supply train.

This was either a lucky idiot, or there was something more than it appeared at first glance.

The bandits were now close enough to get a good look at their quarry and could see that it was a young man with long, black hair.

They also noticed that he was darting between trees as he made his way to the wood.

"He's trying to lure us into the wood!" Garston warned.

It was not a bad strategy. The wood looked like it was navigable on horseback, but they'd lose the advantages of their mobility and speed due to the density of trees.

Garston ordered the band to slow up and start surrounding their target.

* * *

When the bandits started to slow up, their pace slowing from a gallop to a trot, Ranma realised that he needed a back up plan.

'They're not taking the bait...'

This left the cursed martial artist to ponder his options: Continue running into the wood and hope that his pursuers got bored and left him alone or drive them off.

Running was always a good option, one that his father regularly employed, but these bandits would turn their attention back to their earlier target if Ranma didn't do anything about them.

Sighing, Ranma knew what he had to do. "A martial artist's duty and all that nonsense."

Looking around, Ranma saw what his hunters were up to now: They were planning to surround him. This required a new strategy for eight against one.

'You don't need to take them all out. Take out the leader and maybe one or two others, and the rest will flee,' he thought after a moment's reflection.

Renewed by his revelation, Ranma considered the best options. Throwing the spear would be effective, but it was a one-shot tactic. And if his target was remotely skilled, it would probably be ineffective if he could dodge or deflect it.

A Moko Takabisha could prove effective, but Ranma had never used one in a serious fight when he was this hungry before. As much as he hated to use something that was supposed to be sealed because it was so deadly, Ranma realised that his best option would be to use the Yama-Sen-Ken and get a lethal strike before they got too close.

If this plan didn't work, it would be a long day.

After taking several deep breaths to prepared himself for combat, Ranma unleashed a barrage of vacuum blades that caused Garston and his mount to fall to the ground with a wet thud.

"Anyone else want some?" the martial artist asked with a cocky smirk.

"¬W-what was that?¬"

"¬You see what he did to Garston?¬"

"¬He also killed Ionas!¬"

"¬He's a monster!¬"

"¬DIE!¬" one of the braver bandits yelled as he charged towards Ranma.

Ranma reacted by timing a single thrust of his spear into the neck of this misguided man, knocking him to the ground.

'That's two,' he thought as the horse ran off into the wood.

The other bandits were unsure of what to do next. Part of them wanted to avenge their fallen comrades, but this person was like an apostle. It was only his clothes and lack of ornate weapon that put the doubt as to his nature into their minds.

If they all attacked at the same time, they had a good chance of finishing him off.

"¬Men, what do you think?¬"

"¬Otto seems to have made his mind up.¬"

One of their number had already turned tail and started to flee.

Otto was never the bravest person at the best of times, but his ability to always knew when to leave before things got too dangerous was something Garston had used several times.

"You're lucky. Men, we're out of here."

As the remaining horsemen turned and left, Ranma allowed himself to feel relieved that his plan had worked out. He looked at what was left of Garston and his horse and started to feel a little faint.

"I... I killed him..." he whispered.

Then a voice in his head chided him. 'He's not the first person you killed. Not even today. Don't be weak, what would Pops say? You have to keep going. This is your last chance to get cured, remember.'

Shaking his head, Ranma made his way back to where the horse he'd tied up.

* * *

The clouds overhead had darkened considerably during Ranma's encounter with the bandits. If he was quick, he could get to the covered wagon and take shelter before the rain started and it would save him an embarrassing conversation with someone who couldn't understand him.

Realising that the best way to pick up the pace would be to ride the horse to the wagon, Ranma mounted his steed and gently patted it on the neck. "Let's go, shall we?"

The horse broke out into a trot and the pair closed the distance between themselves and the traders in mere minutes.

"Hi," Ranma said with a smile before dismounting. He pointed to his chest. "Ranma."

The trader blinked, unsure of what this person was saying, but after Ranma repeated his name and pointing at his chest twice more, realised what was going on.

"Pullo La Sanges," he said pointing at his chest.

The martial artist looked over the cart; it seemed to be in a roadworthy condition, with the bandits just killing the horse. "Do you want to use this horse to get going?"

The trader and his assistant looked blankly at Ranma with his question until he started to attempt to unhitch the dead horse.

"¬I'll help you with that,¬" Pullo said. "¬We'll want to get going soon. I don't know what you did to those bandits, but they might come back.¬"

The pair managed to get their new horse hitched up when the heavens opened.

Pullo turned to Ranma and was shocked by what he saw. Instead of the helpful young man, he saw an upset looking redhead. At first he thought it was just a trick of the light or this Ranma Saotome person had some kind of hair dye. After all, it might be unusual, but it wasn't unheard of people changing their hair colour.

After a second look, it was obvious that it wasn't just a difference in hair colour: this person was a female.

"Ranma?"

"Yep, it's me. It's a magical curse that's activated with water. Long story, but can we get going?" Ranma asked before her stomach growled.

"¬You must be hungry. Come on, we're only a day and a half away from Coda village. Arthur will give you food, won't you, Arthur?¬"

"¬Of course,¬" the apprentice nodded. It was weird, but this girl was seriously cute. And the way her wet shirt clung to her curves was alluring.

"Don't get any ideas, kid," Ranma warned as she climbed onto the wagon. "I have just killed three men."

* * *

Back in Nerima, Genma Saotome was getting a grilling from his wife, the Tendo family and his master.

"You what?" Nodoka asked.

"Ranma... didn't make it."

"But you were only going to Ginza to buy a gift!" Akane pointed angrily.

"Well, yes, but who could predict that a magical portal would open in the middle of Tokyo?" Genma countered. "You make it sound like I planned this."

The Tendos looked at the part-time panda sceptically. "Hmm..." the said in unison.

"Ranma didn't make it?" Nodoka asked, not hearing the Tendos' comments. "My only son is... dead?"

"I'm sorry to say that he won't be coming back, Nodoka-chan" Genma said sadly. "If I could change places with him, I would do it in a heartbeat."

"But... I... I barely knew him."

"He was manly to the end."

"W-what do you mean?" the kimono-clad woman asked, tears now falling from her eyes.

"Ranma's bosom is lost forever..." Happousai said, slightly broken. "Those curves of his were heavenly..."

The old pervert was ignored as Genma explained more of the circumstances of Ranma's death at the hands of the invading army.

"Ranma's actions saved countless people. If he hadn't helped bystanders get to safety, the death toll would have been so much higher. Not only that, he fought bravely against men with spears and men on horseback. It filled me with pride to know that he was holding his own against a professional army."

"H-how did Ranma-kun die?" Kasumi asked. She could hardly believe that Ranma was dead. Sure, Ranma often got a bit of beating against powerful foes, but he'd always bested them on the rematch. Often after learning a powerful technique.

"It... It was," Genma paused. The news of the death of his son was hard enough to break, but the details about a fiery demise caused him to choke up slightly. Fire was never a good way to go. "There was a dragon."

"Dragon?"

"Yes. A dragon," the balding man confirmed. "A dragon came swooping in. Ranma had no chance to avoid the flames. I was nearby and only just managed to avoid being scorched. When I looked up, Ranma was gone."

A silence descended on the room.

It seemed unreal to think that Ranma was gone.

"It's not possible," Akane insisted. "I mean... He always comes back..."

"It's true, Akane," Genma said, tears filling his eyes. "We can all take heart in knowledge that Ranma died a hero saving people. It was a manly death, one that, while unpleasant, is one that means he will be remembered for generations to come. He did us all proud."

* * *

In the wagon, Ranma was eating some bread and cheese. The bread was very different to what he was used to, as it was denser and coarser, but it was filling and the cheese was tangy.

The redhead looked over and saw that Arthur was looking at him intently. It was making things weird.

"Stop that," Ranma warned, pointing a finger at the youth.

Pullo looked over his shoulder to see that Ranma looked rather upset about something. "¬Arthur, it would be impolite to upset Ranma.¬"

"¬Yes, boss. I... it's just that she's so cute.¬"

"¬That doesn't matter. We owe Ranma a great deal, so we're taking her to Coda.¬"

Ranma, upon hearing his name looked between his two travelling companions. Unsure of what was being said, the martial artist opted to have a brief demonstration of power and concentrated some chi to highlight just why annoying him would be a bad idea.

Arthur took the hint and turned his attention to a book.

* * *

To be continued...

1) No, fiend wasn't a typo in the last author's notes.

2) I don't really subscribe to the theory that Ranma is immune to the effects of heat after the Cat's Tongue/Phoenix Pill encounter, hence why people could believe that Ranma would be incinerated by the dragon's breath. Even if I did normally go along with that idea, I like to mix things up in various stories as it stops things from getting too samey for the reader.

3) There will be changes to how things progress from the normal JSDF story elements. You'll see what I mean in a chapter or two.


	4. Chapter 3

Thus, the Stallion Escaped Here

By Lord Raa

Disclaim-me-do: Germans ARE rebellious... in terrifyingly organised ways.

Chapter 3

* * *

It was now several days since the news of the Ginza incident had been broken. The existence of the Gate, as the authorities called the portal that had opened in the heart of Ginza, was a source of great conjecture across the whole planet. Was it a time portal? Were the armies that came through a relic of the violent history of humanity?

Or perhaps it was a portal to another world? And if it was, what wonders lay beyond the Gate? Was it that this was a virgin world, ready to satisfy everyone in this world's needs?

In Nerima, the question was a very different one: Could it really be the case that Ranma Saotome was dead?

There was a sense of disbelief in the air that unsettled the population. According to Ranma's father, Genma, the martial arts prodigy had been incinerated by a dragon.

Yes, Ranma Saotome had faced impossible odds before, but he'd always beaten them. He'd always made it back to the Tendo Dojo.

But now, now was different. And that scared some of the people in Nerima.

If Ranma was actually dead, as was claimed, and there was no evidence to support or dispel this rumour, then there were several issues that needed to be resolved.

Most of these issues were to do the relationship status of Ranma. Several people claimed to be affianced to the young man, through some local custom, arranged marriage or just fantasy.

Ukyo Kuonji had spent most of her formative years tracking down the person who'd abandoned her, ruining her life in the process. She'd just managed to keep him from shunning her after the fiasco that was the attempted wedding between Ranma and Akane Tendo when she learned that the boy who'd been supposed to marry her had been turned to ash by a magical, mythical beast.

She was barely holding things together. She had no idea what to do. She had no idea what she could do.

Akane Tendo was also trying to make sense of the situation. She'd had a complicated relationship with Ranma. He'd always been there to bail her out, often risking life and limb to rescue her.

This in itself was both endearing and infuriating. It implied that she was some kind of delicate flower that needed protecting, something that infuriated Akane. She'd spent a long time training to be a martial artist in her own right and often Ranma just barged in without caring to ask if she needed help or not.

But it had been needed on occasion, most recently when she'd been kidnapped by the phoenix, Saffron. However, there were times when she wouldn't have needed to be rescued if it wasn't for Ranma or his father going around causing trouble.

Akane wasn't glad Ranma was dead or anything, but she was trying to decide what she should do next.

Ranma's rivals were also conflicted. While they might have been glad he was out of the way, it was bad form to gloat about the demise of someone who had acted heroically and saved the lives of people. And if they so much as uttered something bad about Ranma, they knew that their chances with the women they liked would vanish in an instant.

All in all, Ranma's death had changed everything in Nerima forever.

* * *

The wagon transporting Ranma and his new travelling companions pulled up to make camp for the night. Ranma had used his cast iron cooking pot to heat some water and change back to his male form, disappointing Arthur.

Ranma didn't care if the people he was with were disappointed he no longer had breasts, all he cared was that he was in his own body.

Pullo had observed the physical change in Ranma's body and decided that he needed to show someone familiar with magic. Fortunately, he was heading to Coda village, where Cato El Altestan and his apprentice, Lelei La Lalena, would be able to help.

He felt he owed that to Ranma at least for saving their lives.

Pullo offered Ranma some dried meat before warming himself by the fire. "¬It's going to be a cold one tonight. Fortunately we'll be in Coda tomorrow.¬"

Ranma blinked as he tried to figure out what was being said to him. Not knowing what to say or do, he just smiled and warmed himself by the fire. "Going to be cold tonight."

* * *

Nodoka was uneasy. She couldn't help but feel that something was wrong with her husband's story. She'd learned long ago not to take his word at face value, with some of her friends commenting that if Genma Saotome said it was raining outside, you should go to a window and check yourself.

So when he'd claimed that he'd seen Ranma incinerated by a dragon's breath, something didn't feel right to her. Not the part about dragons attacking Ginza; there was corroborating evidence for winged beasts breathing fire. No, it was the part where Ranma had died.

She'd talked with the more sensible members of the Nerima community, and they'd tried to convince her that it was the denial stage of grief. It made sense, given that a number of the younger Nerima locals also felt disbelief at Ranma's demise.

But it wasn't disbelief that Ranma had been turned to ash that gnawed at Nodoka Saotome. There was something that Genma wasn't telling her.

And she was determined to find out.

Striding over to where the panda was sitting playing shogi, Nodoka Saotome coughed loudly to get his attention.

"Dear husband, I'm sorry to interrupt your game, but there's something I wanted to ask you."

Genma swallowed loudly and held up a sign that read, "I'm just a panda."

"Genma, this is no time for games," Nodoka said in a tone that told everyone in earshot that this was non-negotiable. When Genma seemed to stall for time, she grabbed him by the ear and dragged him towards the kitchen.

* * *

Kasumi was boiling the kettle when she saw Nodoka dragging a reluctant bundle of fur and claws behind her.

"Here, Auntie Nodoka, I think this is hot enough for you," she said knowing why she was there.

"Thank you, Kasumi-chan," the older woman smiled. After she turned her husband back into his normal form, she pointed a finger mere inches from his nose. "Now, Genma, we will be having a discussion where you tell me everything I want to know. Is that clear?"

"Y-yes, dear."

"Good. Now, where can we go for a little privacy?"

"Bedroom," Genma answered.

The Saotomes left Kasumi curious as to what they were about to discuss, but the Tendo homemaker was polite enough to continue about her tea making.

* * *

Nodoka locked the door behind her, causing Genma to tense up further.

"W-what is it that you wanted to discuss, dear?"

"I want to know about what happened in Ginza."

"I told yo-"

"You told a story that I think is a little light on details, Genma dearest," Nodoka said sternly. "I appreciate that you were looking for a gift for me. I understand that you and Ranma were fighting to save people. But there is something that doesn't sit right."

"W-whatever could you mean, d-dear?" Genma was starting to sweat.

"Well, I wouldn't like to suggest that you had something planned, but do you think it's possible that Ranma survived by running through that portal?"

Genma blinked. "I... I suppose it is possible."

"Why would he think that running into that portal was a good idea?" Nodoka asked. She quickly followed up with another question. "Did you have a plan to travel with him?"

"I..."

"Remember that if you lie to me, I will skin you alive," the kimono-clad woman said as she reached for her sword.

"Well... I did have an idea..."

"Tell me what it was and you might be able to walk downstairs for dinner."

"It's a magical portal and I thought that since it was magical, there could be a way for us to cure our curses," Genma blurted out, his head touching the floor. "I-is that all, Dearest Nodoka-chan?"

"One last thing, dear husband."

Genma gulped nervously.

"Why aren't you more upset that Ranma is dead?"

"..."

"If you don't tell me the truth, there won't be enough of your hide intact to cover a postage stamp," Nodoka warned as she unwrapped her sword.

"I-I-I took out a life insurance policy on Ranma."

"And?"

"It's a billion yen policy." Genma took a deep breath before he explained further. "I took it out when he was clearly better than everyone else in his age range. Not just in case he wouldn't marry Akane, but in case of lost earnings if he decided to be a film star."

Nodoka paused that did sound like a good idea, but how could Genma get an insurance policy like that? And how would he get the premiums to something he could afford?

"And what makes you think that such a policy is valid?"

"Well... I..."

The door burst open.

"SAOTOME-KUN! What's this about billion yen policy on Ranma-kun's life?" Soun Tendo demanded as he barged into the room.

Nodoka acted on reflex and knocked the intruder to the ground with a single blow from her sheathed sword. "How rude! Genma, we're going for a walk."

"But..."

"We. Are. Going. For. A. Walk."

The two men shivered in fear, but Genma realised that he'd lost this argument and slowly rose to his feet. "Coming, dear."

* * *

The two Saotomes were walking through Nerima in silence.

'So, Ranma might still be alive?' Nodoka asked herself rhetorically. The thought that Ranma might still be alive made her heart soar and it made sense to her that Ranma would have done as Genma suggested.

She understood why Genma would have suggested that the pair of them go through the portal, and if she'd been with them in Ginza, she would have joined them on their adventure. If only to keep Genma from engaging Ranma to someone. Again.

"But how to get Ranma back home?"

"I told you, Ranma's gone," Genma insisted. He was only days away from getting a death certificate and thus ready to collect on that insurance policy he'd taken out. People talking about Ranma still being alive was just going to complicate matters unnecessarily.

"Humour me, Genma. After all, I have been VERY patient with you."

"Ack… Yes, dear," the portly man said, hanging his head in shame.

The couple walked into a nearby café and took a seat. "Now, Genma, tell me how you would get Ranma back."

Genma removed his glasses and gave them a quick clean. "Well… given that we can't just walk up to the portal or whatever they're calling it now and get through. I mean, you could, but people would get hurt."

"Yes," Nodoka nodded.

"If they've got any sense, they'll have a checkpoint to inspect everything that goes through, so you couldn't sneak through unless you had a person on the inside. But the more people you have in such a plan, the bigger the risk of something going wrong," the balding man reasoned. "And it's all too much of a risk for us to take. I mean, I don't have the money to bribe the soldiers, do you?"

"No, but you might have it soon…"

Genma froze. "Y-yes, possibly, but if we bring Ranma back, I'll have to repay the money to the insurance company and we'll never get insurance again."

"Plus there's that whole criminal fraud angle," Nodoka mused. The pair fell silent as the waitress approached.

"How can I help you today?" the blonde waitress asked cheerfully.

"We would like a pot of tea and some dorayaki."

"Certainly, madame. What flavour would you like? Today we have red bean, or vanilla custard."

"Vanilla custard, four of them, please."

The waitress scribbled the order down on her notepad before leaving the Saotomes.

Nodoka turned her attention back to Genma. "I suppose that we could have another option. I have an uncle in the JSDF, I suppose that it would be possible to ask him to get the JSDF to look for Ranma."

"We still don't know if he's even alive, Nodoka."

Nodoka sighed. "You're right, of course. But if we did have proof, would you help me?"

"I... Maybe Ranma is happier in that world? Does he want to come back?"

"Why would Ranma be happier in that other world?"

"… Well… I mean, who can say with kids these days?" Genma stalled, hoping that the waitress would return and give him another moment to come up with a suitable answer or distraction.

"So it's nothing to do with you making his life a misery?" Nodoka said pointedly.

Genma's blushes were momentarily saved by the return of the waitress. Fortunately for the part time panda, Nodoka had moved on from her barbs at his actions.

"I will need to speak with my uncle, but I might have a plan to get our son back."

"You do? What do you need me to do?" Genma asked. He didn't like the idea of giving up the insurance payout, but he liked the idea of his wife skinning him alive even less.

"Well, I might need a new identity, but if I can get in the JSDF, I think I can get into the expedition into the other world."

"Expedition?"

"You do realise that the government is going to have to send the army through, right? They can't allow what happened in Ginza to go unanswered."

"But how will you get in the JSDF?" Genma asked. "You're not a soldier."

"No, but I was in the reserves."

"When?"

Nodoka calmly poured two cups of tea. "I joined the reserves while you were gallivanting around Asia with our son. I did tell you in several letters, including the one where I scored the highest in the unit for marksmanship."

Genma paused as he tried to remember the letters in question. He came up a blank. "Even assuming that they would allow you to go with them, how would you find Ranma?"

"Same way I found you here in Nerima. Look for trouble involving romance or fights."

"Oh…"

"Yes, 'Oh'. Now drink your tea and start thinking about how I can make this plan happen," Nodoka instructed.

* * *

After another day's travel, Ranma, Pullo and Arthur had arrived at Coda village. Pullo had instructed Arthur to go about some of their scheduled business while he dragged Ranma to the other side of the village.

Ranma wanted to know what was going on, but given the language barrier, had to go along with Pullo.

They pair arrived at a house on the outskirts of the village. It was a nice house, fancier and more ornate than the others they'd seen.

Pullo knocked on the door and smiled at the cute young lady who answered.

"Can I help you?"

"I'm Pullo La Sanges, I've got some business with Master Cato. You can tell him that I've brought the samples he wanted to take to Rondel and there's something else that he really needs to see," the merchant said emphatically.

"Please wait here," the young lady instructed before closing the door. Two minutes later, the door opened again and she smiled at the two visitors. "Please come in, Master Cato will see you now."

Pullo gestured for Ranma to follow them inside.

The martial artist was about to take his shoes off when he noticed that none of the others had removed their footwear. 'Ah yeah, they don't take their shoes off in some countries. Maybe that's how they roll in this place.'

He heard Pullo say something to Cato, who in turn sent the girl away to fetch something.

Pullo showed the mineral samples to the robed man, who seemed impressed with the goods. They talked a little before the box was handed over and some coins changed hands.

When the girl returned with two containers, Ranma figured out what was about to happen and took a deep breath. He looked at the containers and saw that there was indeed water at two different temperatures.

"And what's this other thing that you're so insistent that I see, Pullo?" Cato asked.

"Ranma?"

Ranma stepped forward. He pointed to his chest and said "Ranma." Next, he pointed to Pullo and said "Pullo" before pointing at Cato, who nodded and said "Cato." Then the martial artist pointed to the young girl, who realised what was going on and said her name, Lelei.

Ranma repeated everyone's name as he pointed at them in turn. Next, he said, "Male" when he pointed at himself, Cato and Pullo and "female" when he pointed at Lelei.

He repeated male and female when he pointed at the appropriate local to be sure that they knew what he was saying.

Cato realised and said the local words for male and female, which Ranma repeated.

Then Ranma splashed himself with the colder water, turning himself female. Which he said in the local language.

Lelei gasped. She knew magic, being something of a prodigy, but she'd never seen anything like this before. Especially when Ranma poured some of the hot water over her head and turned back into a man.

Cato's eyes widened. Transformation magic was rare, having only been described as happening to a subject once, and then as a permanent change.

He reached out for the cold water, taking a sip and confirming that it was just water from the well. He poured some on Ranma's head, activating the Jusenkyo curse again.

On reflex, the slightly perverted master wizard reached out for Ranma's breasts, only to have his hands stopped by a grip that put manacles to shame.

"¬No,¬" Ranma said in a warning tone.

"I'm sorry," Cato said, trying to pull his hand away.

Ranma released the wizard and reached for the hot water. When changed back, Ranma pointed to the hot water and his male chest and gave a big, happy smile and thumbs up gesture. Then, in an attempt to convey that he liked being a man rather than a girl, changed back and made an unhappy face and thumbs down gesture.

Finally he changed back to a man and allowed the locals to discuss the situation. He took the opportunity to drink the cold water, showing everyone there that it wouldn't change him back.

"Well, what do you think, Master Cato?" Pullo asked. "Can you help Ranma?"

"I... I don't know, I've never seen anything like this before. What do you think, Lelei?" Cato asked.

"It looks like water magic, but I didn't know water magic could change people like that," the light blue-haired girl answered. "Maybe the Magic Academy in Rondel has more information on this type of magic?"

Ranma blinked, confused for a moment before pulling out his small supply of looted coins and handed them over to Cato. He pointed to the hot water. "¬Please can you cure me? Make me male, er... -male-, all the time?¬"

Cato nodded, getting an idea of what Ranma was asking. He accepted the coins. "Ranma, I'm a master wizard, this is my apprentice Lelei and we are going to Rondel city to make you male all the time."

"We are?" Lelei asked.

"Yes, it'll be nice to see your sister, Arpeggio, too," the lecher answered with a twinkle in his eyes.

Lelei narrowed her eyes, but turned her attention back to Ranma. She started to appraise him, he was strong looking, had long black hair and strange clothes. She reached out to touch his shirt and marvelled at the material.

"Master, you should feel this shirt. I haven't felt anything like this before."

Cato reached over and touched Ranma's silk shirt. "I have, but it's an expensive fabric. Only kings, high priests and the richest merchants can afford such material."

Ranma was a little weirded out, but took it in his stride for the time being. 'At least they're not trying to grope me.'

"We might need Arpeggio's help with this, so no fighting with her, OK?" Cato said. "I'll start packing some reference tomes and get some notebooks. You and Ranma can get everything else we need for the journey to Rondel."

"Yes, Master Cato," Lelei nodded before guiding Ranma to where the cart was.

* * *

To be continued…


	5. Chapter 4

Thus, the Stallion Escaped Here

By Lord Raa

Disclaim-me-do: Honestly, if you will fall to pieces every time a uniped explodes, I'll just have to find a new assistant.

* * *

Chapter 4

* * *

Genma Saotome was struggling to convince his wife that her plan to rescue Ranma from this other world was not going to work without him. Had things gone differently, he'd be there with him and they'd be having adventures and getting cured of their Jusenkyo curses.

And even if they couldn't get back, there was a chance for a new life, one free of debts and obligations.

But what could Nodoka Saotome do?

She wasn't skilled with her sword; she was the very epitome of the unpredictable amateur. She claimed that she'd had some experience in the JSDF Reserves, but even if that was true, it was years ago.

The JSDF would not be recruiting women Nodoka's age to fight an army in a strange world. Hell, they wouldn't even accept Ranma because he was too young.

Plus, the Saotomes didn't like being told what to do. None of them did, really, making it something of a family trait.

Not to mention that this wonderful plan of hers would throw a huge spanner in the works if it succeeded. Ranma's death certificate had arrived in the post just that morning and now, it was only the matter of due diligence from the insurance company that delayed the payout on Ranma's policy.

If she succeeded in bringing Ranma home, there'd be a fraud investigation, a hefty repayment penalty, not to mention all of the drama of people trying to get Ranma to marry them.

It was inconvenient that Ranma had died when he did, but him returning from the grave would be even more troublesome.

"That's assuming that they can even come back from the other side," Genma sighed. He leaned back and looked up at the ceiling. "If I was twenty years younger, I'd sign up in a heartbeat to bring Ranma back myself…"

The synapses fired in the part-time panda's brain. 'Twenty years younger…' "Those mushrooms!"

Rushing to his feet, Genma left his room to find Kasumi. She knew where everything was. If there was those magical, age-changing mushrooms around, the Tendo homemaker would know where they were.

* * *

In the kitchen Kasumi was surprised by Genma's question about mushrooms.

"I've got some dried shiitake mushrooms," she said reaching for the cupboard to her right.

"No, not shiitake. Do you remember those mushrooms Ranma and Ryoga ate that turned them into children?" Genma clarified.

"Oh, those. Well, I might know where we have some, but why?"

"It's a long story, Kasumi-chan, but it's for a good reason," Nodoka said from the kitchen doorway.

"Auntie Nodoka, why would you want these mushrooms?" Kasumi asked, hoping that Nodoka would be more truthful than Genma.

"It'll bring Ranma back."

"How?"

"Well, with these mushrooms, Genma and I will join the JSDF and go through the portal and return with Ranma."

Genma nodded. "Wait, both of us?"

"Yes, it'll double our chances of one of us being selected if we both join up," Nodoka said, he hand reaching towards her ever-present bundle.

"What if there's only one mushroom?" the part-time panda asked. "Who will go and get Ranma?"

"But I thought Ranma-kun's death certificate arrived today…" the Tendo homemaker said sadly.

"I don't believe that Ranma's dead," the Saotome matriarch stated.

"But the government says that Ranma is dead. Even if he's not, then he'll get into trouble if he ever comes back," Kasumi replied.

"Then I will stay there with him. I missed most of his life and this will give me the chance to get to know Ranma properly."

"What about me?" Genma asked.

"Why would I stay with someone who stands to profit from stopping me from rescuing my son?" Nodoka said icily. "You're lucky I don't skin you for a coat."

The devious man swallowed nervously. "O-of course dear…"

Kasumi frowned with concern, but she understood Nodoka's stance on the matter. It would be nice to have Ranma-kun back, even if he did tend to make things noisy and messy around Nerima.

She reached into her special cupboard and handed two long mushrooms to Nodoka, one twenty centimetres long, the other closer to thirty centimetres.

"Here you go, Auntie Nodoka. I hope that your plan goes well."

"So do I, Kasumi-chan, so do I."

* * *

On the cart to Rondel, Ranma was learning the basics of the local language thanks to the patience of Lelei. She started out with nouns, pointing at objects and saying what they were and waited until Ranma could repeat them with a suitable clarity.

It was making for a long journey, so when they stopped for the evening, Cato and Lelei were glad that Ranma had disappeared into a nearby treeline for a few minutes.

"Teaching people is a lot harder than I thought," Lelei said tiredly. "I appreciate your taking me on as an apprentice, Master Cato."

"Teaching is something that not everyone is suited to, and you're welcome, Lelei."

Ranma returned with some branches and began breaking them up, before sitting down and starting the fire.

"At least Ranma here knows about camp fires," the wizard said with a smile.

The martial artist smiled back politely before adding in a few rocks to the fire. He rubbed his hands together and warmed them by the flames for a minute before taking a seat.

"How many more days travel to Rondel, Master Cato?" Lelei asked as she warmed herself by the fire, thankful for Ranma's skills.

"At least another ten days," the old man replied. When Ranma looked confused, he held up his digits and counted out ten.

The martial artist nodded. "¬Ten more days, huh? Only just beats the two weeks to get to Jusenkyo.¬"

It had been a while since Ranma had the chance to look up at the night sky like this. It was then that he noticed that the constellations were different. Sure, there had been some minor differences in the night sky when he'd travelled before, this view completely alien to him. He couldn't even identify the North Star, so he would be as bad as Ryoga for navigating in this land. It was a little disheartening, but the clear view of the heavens more than made up for it.

Despite being curious as to what the constellations were called in this land, Ranma decided he was too tired to continue his education and remained silent for the rest of the night.

* * *

At Camp Itazuma, Nodoka was waiting to be seen by General Kawamoto. She had been waiting patiently for her appointment when the assistant answered a call.

"I'm very sorry, Mrs. Saotome, but the General is running a bit late today. He will have more time for you tomorrow, if you can return then."

"Would you be so kind as to inform him that his niece is waiting to discuss something very important?" Nodoka asked with a formal tone.

"I-" the secretary was cut off by the door opening and man in a general's uniform and overcoat stepping through to the reception area.

"Hello Uncle Takeshi, it's been a while," the visiting woman smiled.

"What? Nodoka? Is that you?"

"It is indeed, Uncle Takeshi. I have something very important I need to discuss with you."

The grey-haired man took a deep breath. Although it was a pleasure to see his niece, family matters always seemed to cause him trouble. "Step into my office, Nodoka. Corporal, could you bring us some tea?"

"Of course, sir."

When they were in the office, General Kawamoto hung his coat up on the rack and told Nodoka to take a seat.

"So, what was so important that you couldn't wait until the morning?" he asked as he took his position in his office chair.

"It's about Ranma."

"Ranma?" the general repeated. "As in your son, Ranma?"

"Yes," Nodoka said. "Ranma was caught up in the Ginza Incident."

In an attempt to calm the population, the Japanese government had decided to refer to the invasion of Ginza as "the Ginza Incident." It was a bit of understatement that a number of Japanese politicians felt their youth needed to keep things in perspective.

"I'm sorry to hear that, was he seriously hurt?"

"Well, that would depend on who you talk to. On the one hand, if you believe my husband, then you'd think he was incinerated by a dragon. However, I'm not so sure."

Kawamoto blinked. The attitude Nodoka was displaying wasn't the denial stage of grief, but more a believe that her son had survived the initial attack. "What do you think happened?"

"After talking with my husband, I have reason to believe that Ranma ran through the portal."

"Why would he do that?"

"He and my husband have a problem with cold water. As in, they change when splashed with cold water," Nodoka replied. "And when I say change, I mean full physical change. Ranma turns into a girl and Genma turns into a panda."

"That's crazy," the General scoffed.

"Is it more or less crazy than a magical portal opening up in the heart of Ginza? If you don't believe me, go to the Tendo Dojo yourself, even if you don't see a panda there, you'll meet people who'll confirm my story."

The General let out a sigh. "Fine, let's say that I believe you that your son is sometimes your daughter and your husband is sometimes a panda. And let's say that there's a chance that your son survived that Ginza Incident and is on the other side of the Gate. What do you want me to do about it?"

Nodoka straightened her posture in her seat. "Well, I thought that given the fact that the JSDF is planning an expedition through the Gate, I thought it might be possible to accompany it. I was in the JSDF Reserves, you know."

"The Reserves aren't going through the Gate, Nodoka," Kawamoto said sternly. "And even if they were going to be sent as a back-up garrison force, you're not on the active duty roster."

"I know, but I can pass the same test criteria the regular JSDF troops have to go through."

"How old are you?"

"I'm 38."

"That's a bit old to be going through bootcamp, Nodoka. Be realistic. Look, if we find Ranma on the other side of the gate, we'll bring him home. That's a promise."

There was a knock on the door before the Corporal opened it and brought in a tray with some tea.

"Thank you, Corporal."

When they were alone again, Nodoka turned to her uncle. "Uncle Takeshi, I have never asked you for anything or caused you any bother. I'm asking for one thing. Let me join the JSDF and look for my son."

"You're old enough to be the mother of some of the recruits, Nodoka, be realistic. Look, if you could turn back the clock, then maybe I could pull a string or two."

Nodoka smiled before reaching into her bag. "Watch this."

Upon eating the mushroom, Nodoka's features changed. She turned from a well-manicured woman in her late thirties to a woman in her early twenties radiant in her youthful beauty.

"H-how?"

"It's a long story, Uncle. But I have another of these mushrooms, though this one is a bit larger, so it'll turn who ever eats it into a thirty year old. Here's what I'm suggesting: I take the final fitness and marksmanship tests and if I pass, you put me on the expedition to the other side of the Gate."

"If I put you on this expedition, you won't get to return if you find Ranma in the first five minutes. You'll have to remain for the duration of the deployment, and we don't even know if the Gate will close ten minutes after you go through," Kawamoto warned. "And even if you do find Ranma and can send him home, I can't do anything about his official status as deceased."

"Understood. Recruit Nodoka Kuribayashi reporting for duty, General Kawamoto," Nodoka replied with a crisp salute.

"This is a bad idea that will end in sorrow and a mountain of paperwork," the General sighed. "But since I can't convince you to take literally any other course of action, I'll help you. But if you can't pass the tests, you're not going. I will not allow anything to unnecessarily endanger the troops. Is that clear?"

"Crystal, Sir."

"Alright, I'll get you through the system tomorrow. But while I'll get you through the Gate, I don't know where you'll be assigned. You could end up on guard duty or operating artillery."

"I will do my duty, Sir."

"Good. Now get out of here before I return to my senses. Though, leave that mushroom. I'll investigate it further."

* * *

Nodoka returned to the Tendo home quite late that evening. When she was greeted by her husband, he was taken aback by her new appearance.

"N-Nodoka… You're…"

"Moving on with my life. Tonight will be my last night as Nodoka Saotome."

"What?" Soun asked, appearing from nowhere. During the Saotomes' stay, he'd developed a sixth sense for when an attractive woman was in the area and his reflex to insist that Ranma would be marrying Akane kicked in.

The widower was taken aback when he saw who it was that had triggered his reaction. "N-Nodoka?"

Nabiki arrived to see what the commotion was and performed a double take. "Wait, Auntie Nodoka? What happened?"

"I've taken the opportunity to start a new life."

"What are you going to do?" Genma asked. He was feeling rather conflicted. On the one hand, his already attractive wife was now stunningly beautiful, just like when they'd first met, but she was talking about leaving him.

"I'm not yet sure of the details, but I expect to be moving far away. I wish you all well in whatever endeavours you undertake and want you all to know that I care deeply for you all. Yes, even you, Genma."

"But…" the portly man tried to protest.

"I've made my decision, Genma, and you're not going to talk me out of it," Nodoka said firmly. She reached into her bag and handed over some papers. "These are divorce papers. Sign them or don't it's up to you, but in the morning, I shall be gone and will not contact you again."

"I-is this because of that policy?"

"No, it was a sensible thing for you to do. Though, I do have to ask how you managed to get an insurance company to agree to underwrite a policy with such generous terms."

"I… it was hard work," Genma admitted. Though, that's all he would say on the matter.

"Very well."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the land beyond the portal, Ranma had woken up at dawn.

It was nice that he hadn't had to deal with the din that was his father's snoring, and so he'd managed to get something resembling a good night's sleep.

He let out a yawn as he stretched. Figuring that personal hygiene wasn't something that he and his travelling companions could expect until they arrived at this Rondel place, he decided that that a light workout was the best option.

'Don't need to stink out the cart with my sweaty body,' he mused.

Finally getting up, Ranma began to work out the kinks from his body before starting a light kata until the others got up and offered him breakfast or they continued their journey.

Lelei woke up a few minutes later than Ranma, thanks to the sounds of him punching and kicking his way through the air.

She blinked as she processed the sight of a young man pretending to fight an unseen enemy. She'd read that soldiers needed to practice their spear and sword drills in order to maintain peak lethality and the sight of Ranma moving so fluidly made her realise that he was some kind of fighter. And not only that, he'd spent years practising.

'He looks so young, but he can't be a soldier, can he?' she pondered. 'Noble families expect their sons to train in military matters from a young age, but Ranma's fighting style is like nothing I've ever seen before. Perhaps Master Cato knows what it is?'

During his punches and kicks, Ranma noticed that Lelei had started to watch him practice. He smirked as he prepared to do something impressive. He jumped and landed on a hand before springing forward, somersaulting in the air and landing on both feet.

"Ta-da!"

Lelei applauded on reflex. 'Ranma isn't just a fighter, but an acrobat, too.'

The noise caused Cato to wake. "¬What's going on here?¬"

"¬Ranma was doing something. I'm not sure what to call it, but it looked impressive. I suppose it was a blend of dancing and fighting?¬"

"Hmm…" the wizard mused as he looked over Ranma. The young man had taken off his expensive silk shirt and the muscles that were on display suggested that this sort of thing was a regular thing. "¬Pullo mentioned that Ranma fought off some bandits, so perhaps Ranma here is something of a soldier from a foreign land? It would explain why he can't speak the language, but why is he on his own?¬"

"¬Do you think he deserted?¬"

"¬It's possible, but until we can communicate better with him, we'll have to assume that he's just a lost foreigner.¬"

* * *

To be continued…

And I believe this is where some of the readership start to be unhappy with the direction I've chosen for this story.

The rest of you were probably unhappy when I started posting it.


	6. Chapter 5

Thus, the Stallion Escaped Here

By Lord Raa

Disclaim-me-do: If you can't get through breakfast without a scotch, where the hell does that leave you at your cousin's wedding?

Chapter 5

* * *

Genma Saotome looked on tearfully as his wife prepared to depart.

"Nodoka…"

"No, Genma Saotome, I am leaving you. I've made my mind up. If I'd been stronger and resisted you and your plan for his training, Ranma would be a better, more rounded person. Sure, he's a manly young man, but he's too crude and crass for the modern world," Nodoka chided as she inspected her katana.

"But this other world…"

"This other world might be brutal and awful compared to modern Japan, but it might also be more suited to the man you raised. He could be the greatest warrior in that world, protecting countless people from monsters. Or he could be dead in a ditch because something went wrong after you put a stupid idea in his head." That last comment was punctuated by Nodoka snapping the blade into its scabbard.

Genma gulped nervously.

"I'll be leaving this sword with you, Genma."

"Why?"

"Because I am no longer part of your family. If I find Ranma, and I can bring him home, we might meet again," Nodoka said, clearly emotional about what was happening. "But I wouldn't hold my breath on that happening, if I was in your position."

After handing over the sword, the recently rejuvenated Nodoka left the Tendo home for her new quest.

* * *

The two soldiers on duty at the Itazuma base entrance were surprised to see a civilian woman in a kimono approach them. The men there were even more surprised to see that it was a beautiful woman in her early twenties.

"Can we help you, Mrs…"

"It's MISS Nodoka Kuribayashi. I've got an appointment with General Kawamoto," the civilian replied.

"Oh, let me check…" the Corporal looked at the list he'd been given and saw that there was a Nodoka Kuribayashi expected that morning. "I'll let the General know that you have arrived. Please bear with me for a moment."

Nodoka looked around the base, noting that there were a number of men partaking in an early morning run around the perimeter. It reminded her of when Ranma would practice in the morning with his father.

'I wonder if Ranma would consider a role with the military…' she pondered before the Corporal attracted her attention. "Yes?"

"I've spoken with the General's office and he's sending Captain Sato to meet with you," the sentry explained. "However, I will have to search your bag before we allow it on base."

"Of course, I understand entirely," Nodoka smiled as she handed over her baggage.

The two men opened the bag and started to inspect it. They weren't sure what to make of the Chinese style silk shirts, but after they'd gotten a look at Miss Kuribayashi, they decided she would look good in almost anything.

After a few more minutes of searching the two soldiers deemed that there was no contraband or anything sinister in Nodoka's bag and returned it to her.

"Please accept our apologies for unseating everything, but we are on a heightened alert," the Corporal said with his head bowed.

"I understand the need for security," Nodoka smiled warmly.

As she zipped up her bag, Captain Sato approached the gate in a jeep.

"Nodoka Kuribayashi?"

"Yes, Sir," Nodoka said with a salute.

The correct salute took the Captain by surprise for a moment before he recalled General Kawamoto's unusual orders. "If you'll follow me, Miss Kuribayashi, we'll get you kitted out before we put you through the tests."

After the jeep left, the two sentries turned to each other. "Did you see the size of her bras?"

"I know, those cups were huge. She's properly stacked. Wait, if she's going to be tested, does that mean she'll be running around the base later?"

"She had a sports bra though," the Corporal said sadly. "No jiggle show for the spectators."

"Ah crap. But she will be in a t-shirt. I bet even with a sports bra on, she'll fill it out nicely."

"Too right. Bring on the PT!"

* * *

Nodoka looked rather fetching in her fatigues as she stood at ease with a group of soldiers. Her arrival had been assumed to be part of the selection process for the expedition through the Gate. After all, most of them had been through something similar.

Not that anything had been confirmed to anyone below the rank of Colonel yet, but the open secret was that they were planning for a mission to bring those that attacked Ginza back to face justice.

"Soldiers," General Kawamoto said, addressing the assembled troops, "I have some good news and bad. Today, I can finally reveal that we will be going through the Gate: We will get justice for those who suffered in the Ginza Incident. That is the good news. The bad news is not all of you will be in the initial deployment.

"Because of the unknown factors surrounding this mission, it has been decided that we will take only the best JSDF infantry in the initial expedition. Right now, in three other bases in Japan, the JGSDF is having briefings very similar to this one."

He looked across the faces of the soldiers before him and felt a sense of pride swell inside his chest. Then he noticed his niece, Nodoka. She certainly looked the part in the fatigues and had been strong-willed and focused enough to complete physical any task put to her, but this was very different to climbing Mt. Fuji or running a marathon.

"We will be performing three tests today as part of the final selection. First, will be a fitness test, then we'll have some gunnery practice and finally, a special forces exercise. You will be scored on all three tests, with the top fifty percent being selected."

The soldiers looked on, waiting for more clarification from their commanding officer.

"Those of you who are not selected for the initial deployment will take part in the second deployment. The exact nature of this second deployment has not yet been decided. This is because of the unknown factors surrounding an operation like this, but it has been expected that you will be there to help build the base camp. You might be relieving front line troops for patrols. Not being selected is not a slur on your skills as an individual soldier, as some of you have already proved yourselves. What it is, is the JSDF wanting to put its best foot forward on this mission. We will have the eyes of the world upon us."

After taking a moment to allow his words to sink in, the General handed off to Captain Sato to begin the first stage of the selection process.

* * *

General Kawamoto looked at the results of the first round of physical testing. His niece had come in with the best time for the women the and fourth best time over all. Evidently, she was ready to go on this mission to bring her son back. If he hadn't seen Nodoka change before his eyes, he wouldn't have believed such a plan could come close to working.

Though, he had to wonder what would happen if she did actually meet Ranma. Would he believe that this woman only a few years older than than he was was his mother?

But even if she found Ranma alive and well and they both made it back to Japan, what then? Ranma had been declared dead and his name was to be inscribed on the planned memorial. Japanese bureaucracy was not something that could be easily overridden, even if someone came back from the dead and walked into the office.

Could someone even have a normal life after such an experience? It was possible that Ranma could have been captured and put to work as a slave in harsh conditions. If that was the case, he'd need some serious therapy before he could be a productive member of society.

Then again, what if Ranma had been fortunate enough to travel around this other world? What information could be tell them? Could he draw them a map? Or perhaps he might know something of the political or economic systems of this world?

Regardless of what Ranma wanted, he'd have be questioned thoroughly before he'd be allowed back into Japan.

* * *

Nodoka's gunnery skills were impressive. She ranked second place, only dropping a few points thanks to her first three shots being affected by the wind. Once she got herself into the zone, she'd proved herself lethal with every round she fired. Heart, face, neck, sternum, all were double-tapped when she was on the semi-auto phase of the shooting section.

"How do you do it, Kuribayashi?" one of the prospective members of the expeditionary force asked. "How do get that many kill shots so effortlessly?"

"I pretend that the silhouette is a panda," Nodoka said as she field stripped her weapon and started to clean it. "I hate pandas."

"But pandas are cute," another countered.

"You obviously haven't spent any time in Nerima lately."

"What?"

"It's a long story, but because of a stupid, lazy panda, I've got to go rescue someone important to me," Nodoka said as she cleaned the barrel of her rifle. "Maybe one day I'll tell you the story, but for now, don't dress up as a panda around me if you want to remain healthy."

* * *

After lunch, Captain Sato brought the interim report on the candidates to General Kawamoto.

"Hmm..." the General said as he looked over the scores. "Looks like Nodoka is going to qualify for the cut."

"Yes, Sir," the Captain agreed.

After a moment, Kawamoto could sense that there was an unasked question. "What's on your mind, Captain?"

"Permission to speak candidly, sir?"

"With the caveat that this conversation never took place, speak your mind, Captain Sato."

"What's your interest in Private Kuribayashi?"

"She's my niece. She came to me yesterday for a favour."

"Yesterday? That would explain why I found no record of her in the system before yesterday," the Captain said, clearly uncomfortable with the nepotism being displayed here.

"I know. I'm not proud of what I did, but what else can you do when a family member tells you that they have to search for their son?"

Sato blinked. "Son? But she's only 20... The invaders captured an infant?"

"No, Ranma isn't an infant, Captain. Though it would make things a little easier if he was. Not because child abduction is a good thing, but it would mean that I hadn't seen something I wouldn't believe possible," the General sighed. "When you get the chance, check out the report that was filed for 'Genma Saotome' after the Ginza Incident or better yet, go visit the Tendo Dojo in Nerima."

"What? Why? Did he do something?"

"He turned into a panda right before Lieutenant Inoue and Dr. Soh."

"Turned into a panda?" Sato repeated in disbelief. "Wait, there's a rumour that Private Kuribayashi hates pandas… That's not related, is it?"

"That is not something I could possibly comment on, Captain. But to allay your fears about Private Kuribayashi, she was a reservist for a number of years. There might be some record of a Nodoka Saotome in some dusty office somewhere if you find that you must know more, but we have much more pressing matters. Is that clear?"

"Crystal, Sir. I'll leave you to look over the scores from the gunnery tests, sir." Sato saluted before leaving the office.

* * *

In the world beyond the Gate, Ranma's language lessons were coming on in leaps and bounds. Sure, he couldn't correctly conjugate a verb and his tenses were often confused thanks to Japanese only having two tenses that the local language having three, but Lelei was impressed with Ranma's progress. After only a few days, he already had the vocabulary of a preschooler.

What had helped the learning process was the decision to include a blank book and some charcoal so Ranma could sketch the concept he needed to communicate. It was effectively playing a parlour game in lieu of being in a classroom, but it was the best they could do under the circumstances. Adapting things was a speciality of Anything Goes practitioners, after all.

Lelei was beginning to wonder if she should start teaching Ranma how to read before they got to Rondel or use one of Cato's friends to take care of that while she researched this shape changing problem of his. Though, the more she thought about Ranma's language skills, the more questions she had about his origins.

"Ranma," she said turning to the bored looking young man. "Can you write your name for me?"

Ranma blinked in confusion.

Lelei mimed writing in the blank book and said, "Ranma."

"¬Oh, right, you want me to write my name. Sure thing.¬"

Picking up the charcoal and book, Ranma wrote the kanji for his name and handed it back.

Lelei's eyes widened when she saw the characters. "Ranma?"

"¬Yes. Ran. Ma,¬" the martial artist said, pointing to each character and speaking the sounds for it. He took the book back and wrote 'Lelei' in katakana. "Lelei."

While it wasn't surprising for there to be different characters used for the names, it seemed unusual for there to be such a difference between the ones used. "These letters are so different."

"¬Ah, I know what's wrong. Give me a minute,¬" Ranma said retaking the book. He wrote his name in katakana. "Ra. N. Ma."

Lelei scratched her head. This language Ranma spoke was complicated. There were different ways to write his name, and that wasn't just a simple spelling choice, it was a whole set of characters. She would have to learn more about his language when she had time to study it.

She wrote some letters down in the book and showed them to Ranma. "Ra. N. Ma."

Some of the letters looked the same, causing Ranma to realise what was going on. "¬It's like kana, their writing is based on sounds... Man, the one time I could do with Hinako-sensei and she's a world away!¬"

Ranma work out a crick in his neck. "Show Ranma letters." He punctuated his words with the mime for writing.

Lelei smiled. "Very well, Ranma, here are the letters to our alphabet…"

* * *

Nodoka had managed to complete her part of the final training stage with no problems. She'd been told as soon as she'd caught her breath back that she's been selected for the initial deployment.

"Thank you, Sir," she saluted Captain Sato.

"Though, I do have a few questions for you, Private Kuribayashi."

"If I can answer them, I will, Sir."

"Please, follow me to my office. I think this is something best discussed in private."

Nodoka frowned for a moment, but if it would help her plan to get Ranma back, then she could tolerate a come-on from a superior officer. "Of course, Sir."

When they were alone in the office, Sato took his seat behind his desk. "You seem hell-bent on going through the Gate, Private. Why?"

"I… I felt it appropriate to defend Japan's honour after the Ginza Incident," Nodoka answered reflexively. "To see one's homeland invaded is a grave insult. It should be answered in kind."

"I see," the Captain nodded, figuring that this was a practised answer. "Apparently, one of the people lost during the Ginza Incident was a young man named Ranma Saotome. Did you know this person?"

"Not as well as I would have liked," the Private admitted.

"Were you engaged to be married?"

"Oh no, I-," Nodoka froze as she realised that she couldn't just say what her relationship was to Ranma. For one, Captain Sato would never believe her, and secondly, it would embarrass her uncle, General Kawamoto. "I mean, he's a relative."

"So you have never been Nodoka Saotome, wife of Genma Saotome and mother of Ranma Saotome?" Sato asked in his sternest tone.

Nodoka frowned. "Do I look like I'm old enough to have a child that old?"

"No, but apparently, General Kawamoto saw something strange in his office yesterday evening," the Captain replied. "Speaking of yesterday, why is there no reference to you in the JSDF system before yesterday? Tell me the truth or you'll never set foot through the Gate."

"General Kawamoto will override you, Captain Sato. That's how hierarchies work, isn't it?"

"And yet, I am above you. You will tell me what I want to know."

There was a deafening silence as Nodoka pondered what to do. This man was throwing up quite the obstacle for her plan. A plan that was already fighting impossible odds just to get off the ground.

Sato realised that he was pushing his luck, given the General's earlier comment about them being too busy to investigate. He coughed politely. "Of course, this briefing is off the record. If anyone asks, we are having a polite chat so I can determine which unit you should be assigned to. So, please, tell me what I want to know."

Nodoka took a deep breath. "I can't speak for the details of the JSDF's bureaucracy, but I might be able to tell you some details about the Saotome family. However, it's a long story, one I couldn't possibly have the time to go into significant details without knowing which unit I was assigned to, Sir."

'You're a cunning thing, aren't you, Nodoka Kuribayashi?' the officer mused. "Well, officially, we don't know what the situation will be, so we're developing several scenarios. One of them involves recon teams. Your name will be on the shortlist for such a deployment."

"In that case, perhaps we should reconvene after dinner? I imagine that I'm not exactly fragrant right now," Nodoka smiled.

"We'll meet in the Mess at 20:00 for dinner. Be prompt."

"Sir," the Private said, snapping to attention.

* * *

In the Mess Hall, Nodoka was waiting in the food line for Captain Sato.

"Apologies, Private, I needed to complete some paperwork. I hope I haven't keep you waiting."

"Not at all," Nodoka smiled as she handed a tray to the officer.

"Thank you, Private. I made a few calls earlier, apparently there are some stories floating around Nerima."

"Oh?" the Private asked. "I'm sure that every ward in Tokyo has stories about it floating around."

"But not stories like Nerima has," Sato replied, a ghost of smile on his lips. "I hear that there are a number of skilled martial artists there."

"One or two," Nodoka replied non-committally. "But, like I said, I'm sure that could be the same for almost any part of the country."

"Yes, but these stories also involve a panda."

Nodoka froze. "Panda…"

Sato noticed the change in Kuribayashi's body language at the mention of the panda. "Yes. One that was seen with a red-headed girl."

"So there was a girl with a pet panda," the Private replied before ordering her food. She turned back to the Captain. "What of it?"

"The girl had exactly the same name as a boy in Nerima."

"Careful, Captain, people might think that you're having a mental breakdown if you keep talking about boys turning into girls and back again," Nodoka said, hoping that Sato would take the hint and wait until they had a little more privacy before continuing the conversation.

"Indeed. I wondered if there was a problem with the water supply in Nerima after I heard the stories," Sato smiled before ordering his own meal.

The pair made their way to a table far away from the rest of the room.

"So, what do you want to know, Captain?" Nodoka asked as she seasoned her food.

"How much of what you hear about Nerima is true?"

"How much of anything is true? What's that saying? 'Anything can be true, for a given value of true.' Of course, I wasn't there for much of Ranma's time in Nerima, so I couldn't verify much of anything, but I'll answer what I can."

"Fair enough. Let's start at the beginning. The panda and the redhead."

"Well, apparently that started on a training trip to China..."

* * *

To be continued...

Yeah, I know it's a short update, but it felt like a natural end to the chapter. I do have a few ideas planned for later chapters, but we'll see how that goes when I get around to writing them.

Also, while I'm sure that some of you have an issue with the way I'm portraying Nodoka in this story, please remember I like to explore different facets of a character in different stories. To me, her thought process has some logic to it. Maybe not perfect logic, but with most of the Ranma cast, hearts tend to overrule heads.


	7. Chapter 6

Thus, the Stallion Escapes Here

By Lord Raa

Disclaim-me-do: Remember, it's "you learn something new every day." Not nude. So don't go to school naked.

* * *

Chapter 6

* * *

Ranma looked on at the city in the distance. It had taken ten days to get to Rondel, but he felt that it was worth it. As he looked at the road leading up to the gates, he noticed the buildings gleamed white in the mid morning sunshine.

"¬Spectacular,¬" he said in Japanese.

"Sorry?" Lelei asked.

"Oh..." Ranma paused as he fumbled for the right words. "Err... good vision? No, that's not it... Nice buildings? Good vista? Pleasant scene?"

The apprentice mage nodded. Ranma's learning ability was impressive. From not being able to speak the language to constructing sentences in ten days was almost unheard of. She pondered what her sister, Arpeggio, would think of him.

She would be impressed that Ranma could learn things so quickly, and she would be curious as to the mechanics of what Ranma had termed his curse.

Then Lelei recalled what she'd seen when Ranma had gone through his morning practice. Muscles flexing, athletic ability and cocky grin when he noticed that he was being watched. It made for quite a heady mix.

'Now that I think about it, Ranma himself is probably what Arpeggio will be most interested in,' Lelei decided.

She wanted to warn him that her sister might be looking for a husband, but Ranma had slipped away without her noticing.

"Ran…ma…"

"What's up, Lelei?" Cato asked, returning to the cart after answering the call of nature.

"Ranma's disappeared. He was here a moment ago."

There was a rustling from the nearby treeline before Ranma emerged carrying a brace of game birds.

"Sorry, saw these. We eat?"

Cato blinked. These small birds were a tricky quarry, thanks to their nimbleness and flighty nature. For someone to get two in such short succession without the benefit of traps proved that they had good reflexes.

"We've only got three hours before we to get to city, but if we prepare them on the way, we can eat them when we arrive at Mimosa's," the wizard replied.

"Oh, OK," Ranma nodded as he started to pluck the birds. "You want feathers?"

"Yes," Lelei nodded. She'd heard that noble women liked to show off their wealth with feathers in their hair and hats. This would go some way towards paying for the treatment of Ranma's curse.

* * *

Mimosa looked at the visitors to her workshop with an air practised, but feigned disapproval.

"And what brings you here, Master Cato?" she asked, her eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"Arpeg…" the lecherous wizard was cut off from his reflexive answer by an elbow to the ribs from his apprentice and coughed to cover his blushes. "I'm here to see if you can help this young man with a problem."

Ranma smiled before bowing politely. "Hello, I Ranma."

"He's not from around here, is he?" Mimosa asked rhetorically. 'I can't place that accent…'

"We're not sure where's he's from, he hasn't told us," Lelei explained.

"I not speak well, but I bring dinner," the martial artist said awkwardly as he held up two plucked birds.

"Well, it would be rude to turn away someone who's brought food with them," Mimosa said, winking at her visitors. "Come inside and we'll talk. Arpeggio, we've got guests."

* * *

Ranma, Lelei and Cato sat opposite Mimosa and Arpeggio.

In order to help explain things, Cato had asked for two jugs of water, one hot and one cold. He gestured to Ranma to begin.

"¬Right, how best to begin?¬ I Ranma, male. Yes?"

"Certainly looks that way to me," Arpeggio commented. 'He's kind of cute, in a rustic sort of way.'

Ranma reached for the cold water and poured some on his head. "I Ranma, girl now."

Mimosa and Arpeggio blinked in surprise. "But… how? That was normal water!"

"Is curse," Ranma answered before reaching for the hot water. "Cold water make Ranma girl, hot water make Ranma man."

The redhead poured some of the hot water over her head and turned her male. "Is from Jusenkyo. Others go to Jusenkyo and get curses. Father turn into panda."

"Panda? What's a panda?" Lelei asked.

"Panda… err… bear, but black and white. Look like punched eyes," Ranma explained gesturing with a fist over his own left eye. "Also very lazy and eat lots."

"I see… so there are others with this curse of yours?" Mimosa asked.

"Yes, but they not here. Not sure where they are. Not sure if can get back home," the martial artist said. He looked a bit sad for a moment before cheering up. "But you good wizards and you cure me, yes?"

"Well, possibly, but it will take some time," Arpeggio said. "And it will cost."

Ranma reached into his shirt and pulled out one of the coin purses he'd looted. "This help?"

Arpeggio took the offered money and counted it. There were four silver coins and ten copper coins. "It's a start, but we will need more. I mean, I'll have to stop taking in other work if you want me to spend all my time on curing you."

"I help out. I do jobs to get coins for you."

Cato nodded in approval. Ranma might be a stranger, but his moral code wasn't completely alien. "Excellent stuff! Now, how about dinner? Ranma found some birds for us to eat…"

The martial artist reached into a bag and pulled out two plucked poultry carcasses. "Lelei have feathers if they help, but bird looked tasty in woods when Ranma saw them."

* * *

Arpeggio and Lelei sat beside each other in Mimosa's study looking at reference tomes. "So, how long have you known Ranma?"

"He arrived in Coda village about ten days ago. A merchant named Pullo La Sanges brought. That reminds me, we have your samples for you."

"Ah, thank you, I've been waiting for these for an experiment," the older sister smiled. "So Ranma appeared ten days ago, eh? Was he cursed then?"

"Yes. He showed us the curse and Master Cato said we should come here to cure him."

"Unlike your Master to be that kind…"

"I think he wanted to see you," Lelei replied. "I've heard him say your name late at night."

"…" Arpeggio tried to put that out of her mind and turned the conversation back to Ranma. "What do you know about Ranma?"

"Not much. He didn't speak the language until we started our journey here, so he's not really been able to talk about his homeland. But there is something I have learned about it," the younger sister said.

"Oh?"

"He's language uses completely different letters. When he wrote his name, it was like two little pictures, but when he wrote mine in it, it was more like ours, only it spells out sounds."

"What makes you say that?" asked Arpeggio.

"He wrote his name out again, this time showing which letter made which sound. He can read and write, but just not our language."

"Interesting. We should ask him about it."

* * *

Back in Nerima, things were falling into a new norm. It was a calm that hadn't really existed since for a long, long time. At the Tendo Dojo, Soun Tendo was even more emotional than ever. He barely had the energy to cheat at go with his old training partner.

Kasumi seemed to be going on as normal, but those that knew her could tell she felt a little saddened at the loss of Ranma. His company always made her day a little brighter.

Nabiki certainly felt the loss or Ranma, her spending money was practically nothing now. Gone were her chances to bilk Ranma from his allowance or money from the Kuno siblings for lewd images of both Ranma-kun and Ranma-chan.

Akane had taken the loss of Ranma the hardest. During their time together, Ranma had often been brash, insulting and downright unpleasant to be around. He didn't like admitting his feelings, which was unsurprising given his upbringing. But when the chips were down, Ranma didn't lose and he would sweat blood to best his opponent.

There was a knock at the door, causing everyone to snap out of their reveries.

Kasumi answered the door and greeted the suited man.

"Hello, can I help you?"

"I'm Toshiro Tamura," the man said with a polite bow. "I'm with the Tokyo Insurance Company and I'm here to speak with Genma Saotome."

"Oh, please come this way."

"Thank you," Tamura said before he slipped his shoes off.

"Mr. Saotome, you have a guest," Kasumi said as she led the visitor to the room where the panda was sitting.

"Mr. Saotome, I am Toshiro Tamura and I am here to offer my condolences on the loss of your son," Tamura said to Soun.

"You're mistaken, Mr. Tamura, but I'm Soun Tendo," the moustachioed man said. "This is Genma Saotome."

The panda waved.

"But that's a panda…"

"I'll get some hot water," Kasumi said before leaving for the kitchen.

"A panda is an unusual pet, Mr. Tendo. Have you thought about insuring it against medical bills?" the insurance man asked, still unsure of what he was seeing.

"He's not a pet. He's my old training partner. Genma Saotome is a strange name for a pet, don't you think?" Soun forced a laugh.

"Perhaps, but it's not my place to comment on such things," Tamura said diplomatically.

Kasumi returned and poured some hot water over the panda. "There you, Mr. Saotome."

"Thank you, Kasumi," Genma said as he adjusted his gi and bandana. "Now, what can I do for you, Mr. Tamura?"

"…" the insurance man blinked before returning to the business at hand. "I am here to offer condolences on behalf of the Tokyo Insurance Company. It is never easy losing a child, especially one with as much potential as Ranma, but I can only hope that this payout makes things as easy as possible."

"I… yes, of course, never easy," Genma said, his eyes lighting up at the thought of that lovely money. He thanked the gods he'd been so wise as to insure his son for such a hefty amount.

It hadn't been easy, but with the offer of a few photographs of Ranma's cursed form, some of the lonelier men at the company had agreed to the policy.

"There is, however, a slight problem, Mr. Saotome."

"There is?" Genma asked, not liking where this was going.

"Yes, unfortunately, due to the incident in Ginza, we will be unable to pay the full amount in a lump sum. Would you be willing to accept the same amount, but spread over the next three years?" Tamura asked, hope audible in his voice.

The crafty man didn't like this new proposition, but given that he didn't really want to make a fuss and delay any payout on the policy, he agreed. "Do you have the first cheque with you?"

"Here is the first cheque for 10 million yen, but I will require your signature to confirm that you are happy with the terms of this new arrangement."

Genma glanced over the contract, it mentioned that it was not possible to pay the full amount in a single lump sum, but the full amount would be paid over the course of thirty six months. He missed the clause that said if Ranma wasn't dead, Genma would have to repay all monies paid out by the company and he faced prosecution for fraud with a minimum sentence of eight years.

"Everything looks to be in order," he said smiling as he signed the documents. "Thank you for your help on the matter."

"No, Mr. Saotome, thank you for your understanding on the situation. I will bid you good day, sir. Mr. Tendo," Tamura bowed before leaving.

Soun turned to Genma. "What does this mean, Saotome-kun?"

"It's a minor change to the insurance policy, Tendo-kun. I'm still getting the money, just not all in one payment."

"But when did you take out a life insurance policy on Ranma?"

"I did what I had to," Genma replied. "After all, with his passing, he can no longer take over the dojo. How else was I to be taken care of in my old age? Life as a martial artist is not known for its pension."

Soun blinked. Genma was perfectly right, but how did he manage to get such a payout for Ranma?

"Well, since you've now had a windfall, perhaps you could contribute to the upkeep of this house, Saotome-kun?"

"I've got to wait for the cheque to clear, Tendo-kun, no bank would cash this much money without asking questions."

"True… Wait, it's an insurance payout, what's the problem?"

"Well, I don't want to pay the fees…" Genma countered weakly.

* * *

At the Itazuma base, Nodoka was enjoying gunnery practice with the 12.7mm machine gun. One of the other soldiers had drawn ears onto a silhouette as part of a joke.

Fortunately, Nodoka had seen the funny side and drew a smily face on the target with an excellent demonstration of control on a fully automatic machine gun. The rest of the soldiers who were training with her soon realised that attempting to prank Nodoka Kuribayashi would result in trip to the hospital.

Private Kuribayashi finished her box of ammunition, enjoying the recoil and the smell of the weapon she handled so deftly.

Sergeant Akira Tomita was curious as to what it was that some of the enlisted men were so enamoured with as he walked towards the range. He noticed that some of the lonelier soldiers were watching a female solder fire the machine gun with a gleam in their eyes. It wasn't unusual for a woman to be a skilled weapon operator, and the old cliché of 'girls with guns' was a popular one with many men in Japan.

However, there was something about the way Nodoka handled the 12.7mm that had attracted their attention that was different to the average action movie. Tomita followed their eyeline and shook his head.

When the gun fell silent, he called the Private for a quick word.

"Sir?"

"I appreciate that you enjoy the 12.7mm, it's a powerful weapon that can do a lot of damage," the Sergeant said.

"It's a versatile weapon, Sir."

"Yes, but how should I put this? If you are selected for duty on a high recoil weapon, you might want to…" he coughed, embarrassed by the subject of this particular conversation. "Ensure that you have appropriate support."

"Support, Sir?"

"Support… in the…" Tomita gestured to his chest with a hand. "Area."

"Oh…" Nodoka said, finally understanding why she'd gained an audience for her practice. "Well, most of my clothes are being laundered, Sir. Rather than go without any support, something that would be a mistake, I had to choose something that was more form over function."

Slightly red-faced at the topic, the Sergeant told the Private that she should get some more supporting garments to ensure full combat efficiency once they went through the Gate.

"Yes, Sir, I will go shopping for more sports bras once I get a free moment."

"Very well, Private," Tomita said, saluting.

* * *

A few days later, in Rondel, Ranma was beginning to get a touch of cabin fever. He knew that he should leave the wizards to do their thing without him getting under their feet, but there wasn't anything for him to do.

It seemed weird to say so, but Ranma kind of missed his father. 'At least if Pops were here, I could practice.'

Shaking the nostalgia for the source of most of his troubles from his mind, Ranma decided that he would have to train himself if he wanted to keep in peak physical condition.

He knocked on the door to the study and got the reply "come in."

"Hello? I go for a run. Be back later, is OK?" the cursed youth asked.

"Of course, Ranma," Cato said.

"Oh, while you're out, could you pick up something for dinner?" Mimosa asked with a smile.

"Sure," Ranma smiled back before leaving the mages to continue their work.

Now armed with permission to leave the workshop, Ranma thought about the route he should take for his run. After a few moments' thought, he decided to run along the wall that separated the R & D section of the city. It would be interesting, a long enough run to exercise him and he wouldn't get too lost.

Navigating around strange cities hadn't ever really been a problem for any of the Saotomes, certainly never to the point where they'd be mistaken for Ryoga, but why take risks in a land where there were people who rode dragons into battle?

* * *

The walls that surround the Research district didn't cover the area Ranma thought they did. He'd already completed two laps by the time the sun had started to move in the sky. He shook his head.

"¬If I don't get some good practice in soon, by the time I get back to Nerima, I won't even be able to defeat Kuno,¬" he complained.

"Hey! You up there on the wall!" a stern voice called out, attracting the martial artist's attention.

"What?"

"You're not supposed to be up there! Get down now or I'll arrest you!" the man in uniform instructed.

An evil thought entered Ranma's head. "Have to catch me first!" he called out before running across the rooftops of Rondel.

The member of the City Guard blinked in disbelief that a man could move so fluidly across such uneven terrain before giving chase

* * *

To be continued…

Now, I believe that some people raised some points in their reviews regarding Ranma's abilities and the like.

And, yes, Ranma should be able to wipe the floor with those he encounters, but I've tried to balance things for the sake of the narrative. If Ranma was to go full force, people would ask awkward questions about his origin and he'd find himself in even more trouble than he is now.

There's nothing wrong with enjoying a good power fantasy, but writing one doesn't really appeal to me. Maybe I would feel different if I was using my own characters rather than writing fanfiction. Who knows.

I have started work on chapter 7, so it's only a matter of time before I update this one again.


End file.
